Michael Finewax

The Week Ahead

Look to Taylor Hall in 2013-14

The Flyers are all but out of the playoffs as they are in 12th and trail the eighth place Rangers by seven points with only eight games remaining. They play three games in four nights so could look to Steve Mason to see what they have in net, and put Ilya Bryzgalov on the bench. They will be tired on Tuesday when hosting the Rangers after playing in Montreal Monday. Daniel Briere thinks that his contract will be bought out at the end of the season. He has been out for the last 10 games with a concussion. Nicklas Grossmann is likely out for the remainder of the season with a concussion. Claude Giroux has four goals and 13 points in his last 11 games.

PHOENIX

Games this week

vs. San Jose. @ St. Louis, @ Chicago

Notes

The Coyotes will be the rested team Saturday when they face off against the Blackhawks who host Nashville Friday. Boyd Gordon is a bottom-six forward but was sought after at the trade deadline. The defensive forward has been a surprise offensively of late with four goals and six points in his last eight games. Kyle Chipchura would have made a nice very late pick in the deepest of pools as he has four goals and 12 points to go with 48 penalty minutes this season. Mike Smith has played well of late as he heads into unrestricted free agency as he has a 2-1 record, stopping 93 of 95 shots since returning from an upper body injury.

The Blues play three games in four nights so it is expected that the red-hot Brian Elliott will get most of the action with Jake Allen getting one start. I was fortunate enough to pick up Elliott in one of my pools on Sunday night and he has rewarded me with two straight shutouts and poolies with five straight wins if you put him in the week before. The Blues will be the rested team on Tuesday when they host Vancouver as the Canucks are in Nashville Monday. T.J. Oshie could return this week from an injured ankle suffered on March 28 when he blocked a shot. He has missed the last six games and has been skating for the last four days although he has yet to be cleared for contact.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Phoenix, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Minnesota, @ Columbus

Notes

The Sharks play three games in four nights so look for Thomas Greiss to play once instead of Antti Niemi. The Sharks will be tired when they face the Kings Tuesday after playing in Phoenix Monday. San Jose has become a quicker and faster team since the trade deadline as they dealt some of their slower players like Ryane Clowe, Michal Handzus and Doug Murray. After an amazing start in which he picked up nine goals and 14 points in his first six games, Patrick Marleau has only eight goals and 13 points in his last 34 games. Hopefully you dealt him after his white-hot start and fleeced some unsuspecting fellow poolie.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, @ Montreal, vs. Carolina

Notes

Tampa Bay are the rested team twice this week, first on Thursday when they play in Montreal after the Canadiens are in Pittsburgh Wednesday. They are also rested against Carolina on Sunday who play Philadelphia Saturday. Victor Hedman has been out a week with a lower body injury but should return by the start of the week. Ryan Malone missed nine games with a shoulder injury and made a surprise return to the lineup this past week. Goaltender Anders Lindback is getting close to returning to the lineup after suffering an ankle injury on March 20. He and Ben Bishop will battle for the net the rest of the season and should make a good goaltending tandem next season.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. New Jersey, @ Washington, vs. New York Islanders, @ Montreal

Notes

The Maple Leafs play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Ben Scrivens to play once for James Reimer. Toronto will be a tired team on Tuesday when they travel to Washington as the Maple Leafs host New Jersey Monday. Phil Kessel has four goals and five points in his last two games. Do not panic over the mini-slump of Nazem Kadri who has one assist in his last four games. Joffrey Lupul is still day-to-day with an upper body injury and Toronto hopes he is back in the lineup before the start of the playoffs. Jake Gardiner has been a healthy scratch for five of the last six games.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

@ Nashville, @ St. Louis, @ Dallas, vs. Detroit

Notes

The Canucks play three times in four nights during their four game weekly schedule, so it is possible that Roberto Luongo could get a start in net, giving Cory Schneider a breather.

Vancouver is the rested team on Monday when they are in Nashville who take on Detroit Sunday. The Canucks are the tired team Tuesday in St. Louis. Chris Higgins (knee) and Chris Tanev (foot) should return before the end of the regular season. Dale Wiese took over from Higgins on the Derek Roy and Jannik Hansen line. Hansen has had a pretty good season thus far with eight goals, 22 points and a plus-14 rating in 39 games.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

vs. Toronto, @ Ottawa, @ Montreal

Notes

The Capitals will be rested on Tuesday when Toronto comes to town as the Maple Leafs are home to New Jersey Monday. Troy Brouwer broke a six game pointless streak on Thursday with a two goal performance. Alex Ovechkin has been white-hot of late with 16 goals and 22 points in his last 14 games. He now leads the NHL in power play goals with 14 and is tied with Steve Stamkos at 26 goals. Braden Holtby has won his last four starts as he has given up eight goals in 144 shots. Brooks Laich has missed the last four games with the groin injury, an injury that caused him to miss all but nine games of the season. He has a goal and four points this season.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Carolina, vs. New York Islanders

Notes

Tobias Enstrom missed Thursday's game with a mid-body injury. The Jets are in tough for a playoff spot as they are tied for eighth spot but the Rangers have two games in hand as the Jets have only six left to play. Jacob Trouba has been skating in practice but there is no timetable for the rookie to get into a game. Ondrej Pavelec has won three in a row after losing his previous four games. He has allowed only four goals in 88 shots in the three wins. Evander Kane is having a breakout season with 16 goals and 31 points to go with 76 penalty minutes in 42 games.

This is the second last week of the season and I want to wish everyone who is still alive in the playoffs, the best of luck.

I will be on Google+Hangout Thursday April 18th with NHL.com's Matt Cubeta Pete Jensen, Brian Metzer and Matthew Sitkoff for our final fantasy chat of the season. Use #NHLHangout on twitter for your fantasy questions.

Taylor Hall is showing all the signs of superstardom that was predicted when he was selected first overall in the 2010 Entry Draft. He suffered through a couple of injury-filled seasons in his first two years in the league but this year has been different.

He had 22 goals and 42 points in his rookie season in 65 games and then followed up with 27 goals and 53 points in 61 games last season.

He worked on his passing when playing in the AHL during the lockout and is having his biggest season with 13 goals and 41 points in 37 games. Look for an explosion next season as he is the Oilers best player.

Brad Marchand is out with a mild concussion. (Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)

ANAHEIM

Games this week

vs. Columbus, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton

Notes

Cam Fowler suffered a lower body injury Wednesday and is day-to-day. Ryan Getzlaf returned on Wednesday after missing three games with a lower body injury. Francois Beauchemin ended a six game scoreless streak with an assist April 10. He has 22 points in 41 games, tying his point total of last season. Radek Dvorak has been a pleasant surprise since signing on with the Ducks after playing seven games with Davos of the Swiss League. Dvorak has three goals in his first five games. Sheldon Souray has been very good this season as he has seven goals and nine assists in 39 games to go with a plus-26 rating and 46 penalty minutes.

BOSTON

Games this week

vs. Ottawa, vs. Buffalo, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Florida

Notes

The Bruins play all four games at home this week so do not be surprised if Anton Khudobin gets into one game in place of Tuukka Rask. They are rested Sunday when they take on the Panthers, who play the Devils Saturday. Highly regarded Carl Soderberg signed with the Bruins but still needs his release from the Swedish National Team, before he can play in North America as he has already secured his release from his club team. The Federation did not give him his release so it looks like it will be next season at the earliest before Soderberg dons a Boston uniform unless the Bruins go deep into the playoffs. Patrice Bergeron skated for the first time on Thursday after suffering a concussion on April 2. Milan Lucic is goalless in his last nine games while Rich Peverley broke a ten game goalless streak on Wednesday. Tyler Seguin has been a bit of a disappointment this season with 14 goals and 28 points.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ Boston, vs. New York Rangers, @ Pittsburgh

Notes

The Sabres will play three games in four nights so look for Ryan Miller to play twice while Jhonas Enroth will play once unless Buffalo is still in the hunt for a playoff spot in which case Miller could play all three times. The Sabres will be rested Friday when they take on the Rangers at home after the Rangers host Florida Thursday. Thomas Vanek returned on Tuesday after missing six games with an upper body injury but it was not a great return as he was minus-four. Tyler Myers offensive game has been in a steady decline since his rookie season as he has had seasons of 48, 37 and 23 points heading into 2013. Thus far he has only three goals and eight points in 39 games.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, vs. Detroit, vs. Anaheim, @ Minnesota

Notes

The Flames play the Wild twice this week so there could be fisticuffs. If there are, look for Tim Jackman to provide some muscle for the Flames. Calgary will have to wait at least one more year for college sensation John Gaudreau to turn pro as he will play one more season at Boston College. Matthew Stajan suffered an upper body injury and is out of the lineup. As a result, rookie Max Reinhart centered the first line on Wednesday and picked up his first NHL point. Michael Cammalleri, Alex Tanguay and Lee Stempniak lead Calgary with 27 points.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ Ottawa, @ Winnipeg, vs. Philadelphia, @ Tampa Bay

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights so look for Dan Ellis to split the net with Justin Peters. The Hurricanes will be rested Tuesday when they are in Ottawa as the Senators play in Boston Monday. They will be the tired team Sunday when facing the Lightning as Carolina hosts the Flyers Saturday. If the Hurricanes do not make the playoffs this season, they have only themselves to blame as they have a 7-13 home record, the worst in the NHL. Alexander Semin has returned to the Carolina lineup after missing two games with an upper body injury.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. Dallas, vs. Nashville, vs. Phoenix

NotesThe Blackhawks play as the tired team twice this week, first on Monday when they host Dallas after playing in St. Louis Sunday, and then on Saturday against the Coyotes as they host Nashville Friday. Dave Bolland is getting close to returning from a lower body injury but has sat out the last three games. Marcus Kruger has taken over from him as the Blackhawks second line center. Ray Emery has three shutouts in his last five games. Patrick Sharp is back in the Chicago lineup after missing almost five weeks with a shoulder injury. Patrick Kane leads the Blackhawks in goals with 20, assists with 26 and obviously points with 46.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Columbus, vs. Edmonton, vs. St. Louis

Notes

There is plenty of angst in Colorado after goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere called out his teammates for a lack of effort saying "some guys are more worried about their Vegas trip at the end of the season than playing the games." He was wholly supported by Matt Duchene and it must have worked as the Avs won 4-1 Wednesday, limiting the Ducks to only 19 shots. Paul Stastny returned the same evening after missing eight games with a bruised foot. Semyon Varlamov is out with a hip injury and the Avalanche recalled Sami Aittokallio from the minors. Captain Gabriel Landeskog scored shorthanded Wednesday, his first point in eight games.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Colorado, @ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles, @ San Jose

Notes

The Blue Jackets play three games in four nights so it's possible that Michael Leighton will get one start but Sergei Bobrovsky has played so well that coach Todd Richards may go with his top goalie in every game as the surprising Blue Jackets remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. He is 14-10-6 with a 2.06 GAA and a .930 save percentage, which is second best in the NHL. Columbus will be a tired team on Thursday in Los Angeles after playing in Anaheim the previous night. They are in the midst of a six game road trip. Marian Gaborik has two goals and five points in four games since being dealt from the Rangers.

DALLAS

Games this week

@ Chicago, vs. Vancouver, @ St. Louis, @ Los Angeles

Notes

The Stars play three games in four nights so look for Richard Bachman to get at least one start in place of Kari Lehtonen. We are assuming that Lehtonen will be healthy as he suffered a lower body injury on Tuesday. The Stars will be rested Monday when playing in Chicago as the Blackhawks are in St. Louis Sunday. A lot of poolies are jumping on the Alex Chiasson bandwagon as the rookie has a three game scoring streak and has four points in his four NHL games this season including three goals. Look for Jamie Benn to improve now that Jaromir Jagr has been dealt to Boston as Benn often deferred to the Czech great when both were on the ice.

DETROIT

Games this week

@ Calgary, @ Vancouver

Notes

The Red Wings only play twice this week so I suggest that you should bench your Detroit players in weekly transaction pools. After a 66 point season, Valtteri Filppula has only seven goals and 14 points in 36 games this year. In an attempt to get his offensive game going, coach Mike Babcock is moving him to center Damien Brunner and Daniel Cleary. Detroit had big expectations when they signed Mikael Samuelsson in the off-season, well maybe not big expectations but they certainly expected him to play more than four games this season. Brendan Smith spent two games in the press box as a healthy scratch before playing on Thursday. Jimmy Howard is closing in on a six-year extension worth $31.8 million.

EDMONTON

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, @ Colorado, vs. Anaheim

Notes

The Oilers are the rested team Tuesday against the Wild as Minnesota is in Calgary the night before. After a 76 point campaign in 2011-12, Jordan Eberle has regressed this season with only 12 goals and 28 points in 40 games this season. He is no longer the Oilers go to guy as Taylor Hall has taken over that spot. I'm not a Devan Dubnyk fan but you cannot argue with his save percentage this season as he is at .922. I don't know how Justin Schultz is in the mix for the Calder Trophy. He has six goals and 20 points in 40 games but four goals and 14 points have come on the power play. His minus-13 rating is not good and he has trouble during five-on-five action.

FLORIDA

Games this week

@ New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers, @ New Jersey, @ Boston

Notes

The Panthers play three games in four nights so look for Scott Clemmensen to play once in place of Jacob Markstrom. They are tired Sunday when they face the Bruins after playing in New Jersey Saturday. Florida has all four games on the road this week. Dmitri Kulikov may be someone to keep an eye on next season. The highly regarded defenseman has scored two game winners in his last five games and may finally be coming into his own. Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Panthers in points with 27, one ahead of Tomas Fleischmann and Tomas Kopecky going into Thursday's action.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

@ San Jose, vs. Columbus, vs. Dallas

Notes

The Kings are the rested team twice this week, first on Tuesday against San Jose who play in Phoenix on Monday, and then on Thursday when they take on Columbus who play in Anaheim the night before. It's probably a good idea to play Jonathan Quick only at home as he is 9-4-1 with a .914 save percentage and a 1.81 GAA at the Staples Center but 5-8-2 with a .885 save percentage and a 3.21 GAA on the road. Drew Doughty has scored in three straight games heading into action Thursday. He now has four this season. Jeff Carter has 24 goals but only five assists this season.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

@ Calgary, @ Edmonton, @ San Jose, vs. Calgary

Notes

The Wild play three games in four nights as part of their four game week, so look for Darcy Kuemper to play once with Niklas Backstrom seeing the rest of the action between the pipes. The Wild will be the tired team on Tuesday in Edmonton after traveling from Calgary where they play on Monday. Devin Setoguchi has missed Matt Cullen as the former San Jose Shark has only one assist in his last six games since Cullen went down with his lower body injury. Dany Heatley will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The Wild would have to go very deep in the playoffs for Heatley to even have a chance to play again, and there is no assurance that this would be possible even if Minnesota managed to go to the Cup final.

MONTREAL

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Washington

Notes

The Canadiens play three games in four nights so expect to see Peter Budaj play at least once in goal as Montreal could rest Carey Price a little bit more with the playoffs coming up. Montreal has faith in the play of Budaj who has won seven straight games. The Habs will be the tired team on Thursday when at home to Tampa Bay after playing in Pittsburgh Wednesday. After finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference last season, Montreal clinched a playoff spot Thursday and are currently second overall in the East. Rookie Alex Galchenyuk has a five game scoring streak in which he has three goals and six points. It's nice to see Rene Bourque back after missing seven weeks with a concussion.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

vs. Vancouver, @ Chicago

Notes

As hard as it is to recommend Predator players in a normal week because they are such a low scoring team, it is near impossible to do so in a week where they play only twice so the recommendation here is to bench all your Nashville players in pools with weekly transactions. The Predators are the tired team Monday when facing Vancouver as Nashville take on Detroit Sunday. Colin Wilson (shoulder) and Gabriel Bourque (knee) both require season ending surgery. David Legwand has been one of the few bright spots offensively of late as he has 16 points in his last 16 games. Look for the newly acquired Filip Forsberg to join the Predators this week as he has finished his season in Sweden. Mike Fisher is still out with a hand injury.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

@ Toronto, @ Philadelphia, vs. Florida, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The Devils play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Johan Hedberg, if healthy, to play once in place of Martin Brodeur. Anton Volchenkov was suspended for four games for his elbow to the head of Boston's Brad Marchand. He will be eligible to return for the Ranger game on Sunday April 21. Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) has missed the last eight games but could return as early as the Toronto game. Patrik Elias has taken over the team scoring lead from Kovalchuk in his absence as Elias has 31 points to Kovalchuk's 27. After potting four goals and 14 points in 24 playoff games last season, Bryce Salvador has reverted back to form as he has only two assists in 39 games this season.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

vs. Florida, @ Toronto, @ Winnipeg

Notes

The Islanders have been one of the surprise teams in the NHL this season as they are currently in seventh place and would qualify to meet the Canadiens in the playoffs if the season ended on Thursday. The red-hot Islanders are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. Ryan Strome, the Islanders first pick and fifth overall in the 2011 Draft, finished his career with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL and has four points in five AHL games as he gets his feet wet as a professional. Look for him to challenge for a spot with the Islanders at training camp in September. Matt Moulson missed his first game in four years as he sat out on April 6 with the flu but came back with a vengeance on Tuesday with a goal and an assist. He has 13 goals and 39 points in 40 games this season.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

@ Philadelphia, vs. Florida, @ Buffalo, vs. New Jersey

Notes

New York plays four times this week including three games in four nights but Rangers coach John Tortorella could go with Henrik Lundqvist in all four games as they are fighting for their playoff lives at this time, holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot. The Rangers will be rested Tuesday when they are in Philadelphia with the Flyers being a tired team after playing in Montreal Monday. The Rangers will be the tired team on Friday in Buffalo as they host Florida Thursday. Derek Stepan is on a six game point scoring streak and is having a great fantasy season with 34 points in 40 games with a plus-18 rating and nine power play points. Marc Staal (eye) skated with his teammates for the first time on Wednesday since his injury on March 5, although he did say that his peripheral vision is not 100 percent.

OTTAWA

Games this week

@ Boston, vs. Carolina, vs. Washington, vs. Toronto

Notes

The Senators play three games in four nights so look for Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner to split the net. The Senators will be the tired team Tuesday when they return home after a seven game road trip to face the rested Hurricanes. Coach Paul MacLean has been impressed of late with Mika Zibanejad with whom he was not impressed at the beginning of the season because of his lack of fitness and less than stellar attitude. But the rookie has turned things around and has definitely matured. He is someone to draft late in deeper pools next season, especially keeper pools. Erik Karlsson (Achilles tendon) is skating once again and could return if the Senators go deep into the playoffs, but Ottawa will not rush their young superstar into the lineup as they want him to be 100 percent before returning to game action.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

@ Montreal, vs. New York Rangers, vs. New Jersey, @ Carolina

Notes

The Flyers are all but out of the playoffs as they are in 12th and trail the eighth place Rangers by seven points with only eight games remaining. They play three games in four nights so could look to Steve Mason to see what they have in net, and put Ilya Bryzgalov on the bench. They will be tired on Tuesday when hosting the Rangers after playing in Montreal Monday. Daniel Briere thinks that his contract will be bought out at the end of the season. He has been out for the last 10 games with a concussion. Nicklas Grossmann is likely out for the remainder of the season with a concussion. Claude Giroux has four goals and 13 points in his last 11 games.

PHOENIX

Games this week

vs. San Jose. @ St. Louis, @ Chicago

Notes

The Coyotes will be the rested team Saturday when they face off against the Blackhawks who host Nashville Friday. Boyd Gordon is a bottom-six forward but was sought after at the trade deadline. The defensive forward has been a surprise offensively of late with four goals and six points in his last eight games. Kyle Chipchura would have made a nice very late pick in the deepest of pools as he has four goals and 12 points to go with 48 penalty minutes this season. Mike Smith has played well of late as he heads into unrestricted free agency as he has a 2-1 record, stopping 93 of 95 shots since returning from an upper body injury.

The Blues play three games in four nights so it is expected that the red-hot Brian Elliott will get most of the action with Jake Allen getting one start. I was fortunate enough to pick up Elliott in one of my pools on Sunday night and he has rewarded me with two straight shutouts and poolies with five straight wins if you put him in the week before. The Blues will be the rested team on Tuesday when they host Vancouver as the Canucks are in Nashville Monday. T.J. Oshie could return this week from an injured ankle suffered on March 28 when he blocked a shot. He has missed the last six games and has been skating for the last four days although he has yet to be cleared for contact.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Phoenix, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Minnesota, @ Columbus

Notes

The Sharks play three games in four nights so look for Thomas Greiss to play once instead of Antti Niemi. The Sharks will be tired when they face the Kings Tuesday after playing in Phoenix Monday. San Jose has become a quicker and faster team since the trade deadline as they dealt some of their slower players like Ryane Clowe, Michal Handzus and Doug Murray. After an amazing start in which he picked up nine goals and 14 points in his first six games, Patrick Marleau has only eight goals and 13 points in his last 34 games. Hopefully you dealt him after his white-hot start and fleeced some unsuspecting fellow poolie.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, @ Montreal, vs. Carolina

Notes

Tampa Bay are the rested team twice this week, first on Thursday when they play in Montreal after the Canadiens are in Pittsburgh Wednesday. They are also rested against Carolina on Sunday who play Philadelphia Saturday. Victor Hedman has been out a week with a lower body injury but should return by the start of the week. Ryan Malone missed nine games with a shoulder injury and made a surprise return to the lineup this past week. Goaltender Anders Lindback is getting close to returning to the lineup after suffering an ankle injury on March 20. He and Ben Bishop will battle for the net the rest of the season and should make a good goaltending tandem next season.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. New Jersey, @ Washington, vs. New York Islanders, @ Montreal

Notes

The Maple Leafs play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Ben Scrivens to play once for James Reimer. Toronto will be a tired team on Tuesday when they travel to Washington as the Maple Leafs host New Jersey Monday. Phil Kessel has four goals and five points in his last two games. Do not panic over the mini-slump of Nazem Kadri who has one assist in his last four games. Joffrey Lupul is still day-to-day with an upper body injury and Toronto hopes he is back in the lineup before the start of the playoffs. Jake Gardiner has been a healthy scratch for five of the last six games.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

@ Nashville, @ St. Louis, @ Dallas, vs. Detroit

Notes

The Canucks play three times in four nights during their four game weekly schedule, so it is possible that Roberto Luongo could get a start in net, giving Cory Schneider a breather.

Vancouver is the rested team on Monday when they are in Nashville who take on Detroit Sunday. The Canucks are the tired team Tuesday in St. Louis. Chris Higgins (knee) and Chris Tanev (foot) should return before the end of the regular season. Dale Wiese took over from Higgins on the Derek Roy and Jannik Hansen line. Hansen has had a pretty good season thus far with eight goals, 22 points and a plus-14 rating in 39 games.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

vs. Toronto, @ Ottawa, @ Montreal

Notes

The Capitals will be rested on Tuesday when Toronto comes to town as the Maple Leafs are home to New Jersey Monday. Troy Brouwer broke a six game pointless streak on Thursday with a two goal performance. Alex Ovechkin has been white-hot of late with 16 goals and 22 points in his last 14 games. He now leads the NHL in power play goals with 14 and is tied with Steve Stamkos at 26 goals. Braden Holtby has won his last four starts as he has given up eight goals in 144 shots. Brooks Laich has missed the last four games with the groin injury, an injury that caused him to miss all but nine games of the season. He has a goal and four points this season.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Carolina, vs. New York Islanders

Notes

Tobias Enstrom missed Thursday's game with a mid-body injury. The Jets are in tough for a playoff spot as they are tied for eighth spot but the Rangers have two games in hand as the Jets have only six left to play. Jacob Trouba has been skating in practice but there is no timetable for the rookie to get into a game. Ondrej Pavelec has won three in a row after losing his previous four games. He has allowed only four goals in 88 shots in the three wins. Evander Kane is having a breakout season with 16 goals and 31 points to go with 76 penalty minutes in 42 games.